[Alliopeti]

Sunday October 17, 2010

Naked body of missing schoolgirl found

IPOH: A secondary school student, who had been missing since Friday evening, has been found murdered. Her naked body was dumped in a drain near an oil palm estate in Teluk Intan about 90km from here. The body of M. Divya Barathi, 16, was found lying face down in the drain at Ladang Rubana by a passer-by at about 7.30am yesterday. Hilir Perak OCPD Asst Comm Goh Kok Liang said the passer-by had earlier found Divya Barathi’s school bag and clothing before locating the body about 10m away.

It is believed that the girl was raped before she was killed. ACP Goh said police were still waiting for the post-mortem report from the Teluk Intan Hospital Forensics Unit to ascertain the cause of death. He added that police did not find any weapon at the crime scene. ACP Goh said the girl’s father K. Murali, 43, had told police that he last saw his daughter getting off the bus and walking into the estate where they live. He said the SM Horley Methodist student was returning home after attending tuition in town.

“Murali lodged a report at the Teluk Intan police station after his daughter failed to show up at their home later that night,” he added. The case is being investigated under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder. ACP Goh also said that no arrests have been made but they have called one of Divya Barathi’s classmates to assist in the investigations. Murali’s employer Sime Darby Plantation expressed sadness over the incident.

[TineSeign]

Tuesday October 19, 2010

Estate worker held over murder

IPOH: Police have arrested a worker at Ladang Rubana in Teluk Intan where student M. Divya Barathi was found murdered and dumped in a drain. Hilir Perak OCPD Asst Comm Goh Kok Liang said the 21-year-old suspect was picked up at the oil palm estate, about 90km from here, at 11.30pm on Sunday. “The suspect is being remanded for seven days to facilitate investigations,” said ACP Goh when contacted yesterday. On Saturday, a passer-by found Divya Barathi’s naked body lying face down in a drain at the estate. A post-mortem showed that the SM Horley Methodist student had suffocated as her lungs were filled with mud. ACP Goh said the teenager, the second of five siblings, was raped before she was killed.

[textarchive]

Published: Tuesday November 23, 2010 MYT 5:55:00 PM

Lorry driver, nabbed for robbery, admits to rape, murder of Divya Barathi

By CHAN LI LEEN

IPOH: Police have nabbed a lorry driver believed to be involved in the rape-cum-murder of Form Four student M. Divya Barathi in Teluk Intan. Hilir Perak deputy OCPD Superintendent Mohd Zaki Harun said the 28-year-old man had admitted to raping and murdering Divya Barathi after he was arrested in connection with a separate case last week.

"The suspect was arrested by hotel employees when he tried to slash the throat of a customer during a robbery. "When interrogated, he also admitted to the rape and murder of Divya Barathi," Supt Mohd Zaki told reporters Tuesday. The suspect is being remanded until Wednesday.

On Oct 16, the naked body of Divya Barathi was found in a drain near the Ladang Rubana oil palm estate in Teluk Intan, about 90km from here. Since then, nine people have been picked up for questioning but police were unable to link them to the rape or murder.